Turbine



June 16, 1 9

w. P. KESSEL 2,044,532

TURBINE Filed Sept. 20, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'WMA Patented June 16,1936 STATES 2&44532 PATENT GFFEQE 13 Claims.

My present invention relates to a fluid operated turbine and it has forits principal object to provide a turbine having a spiral-bladed wheelderiving torsional energy and power from liquid or gaseous fluid forcedor expanded from the periphery of a central bore or chamber toward theperiphery of the wheel in a manner whereby the action and reaction ofthe fiuid stream forces are, by nature of my turbine construction,brought to act in unison in driving the wheel and its shaft.

Further, it is an object to provide a turbine with a hollow drive shaftthat is provided with fluid escape nozzles located at the center of thewheel, which shaft thus becomes, itself, a turbine.

Further, it is an object to provide a turbine wheel with spiral bladesagainst which the fluid is delivered from the shafts nozzles outwardlytoward the periphery of the wheel, the side of the wheel and its casinghaving breather openings whereby the spiral motion, in addition to thefluid expansion, will draw in free air; this construction I find resultsin a high degree of eificiency.

A further object is to provide a reversible tur-' bine of the characterstated.

A further object is to provide a turbine of a simple, inexpensiveconstruction in which the parts are easily accessible and areeffectively held together to operate at as high an efliciency aspossible, and which can readily be started under load.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed outhereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends, the invention stillfurther resides in the novel details of construction, combination andarrangement of parts, all of which will be first fully described in thefollowing detailed description, and then be particularly pointed out inthe appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which:-

Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section on the line l| ofFigure 2, showing a preferred embodiment of my invention constructed asa non-reversible turbine, parts being shown in elevation.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a central longitudinal section of a reversible turbineaccording to my invention.

Figure 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view hereinafter specifically referred to.

Figures 6 and 7 are detailed cross sectional views showing modifiedforms of blades hereinafter referred to.

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view hereinafter referred to.

In the drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate like partsin all of the figures, l represents a suitable supporting bed to whichthe base 2 of the turbine casing 3 is secured. The casing 3 is providedwith exhaust openings 4 designed to be connected to a condenser ifdesired, and 5 indicates breather inlets in the sides of the casing 3.

Suitable shaft bearings 6 are mounted on the base 2 to support the powershaft 1. Located between suitable collars 8 on the shaft l is theturbine wheel which comprises spiral blades l2 and sides [3, the latterhaving openings I l as indicated. The spiral blades, it will beobserved, are crowned as at l5 so that the greatest diameter of theblades appears at the center, the blades slanting off from the centralplane toward the sides l3. Curved blades, or straight blades with anarrow outer rim may be provided instead (see Figures 6 and '7respectively).

At the center of the wheel are located the nozzles 9 which are formed onor carried by the shaft 1. The nozzles 9 are preferably also of spiralform conforming to the spiral curvature of the turbine wheel blades. Thenozzles 9 have their outlets 10 arranged to discharge the fluidapproximately in a tangential direction against the central or innerends of the turbine blades. Fluid is conducted from a suitable source,such as a supply pipe 16, through a control valve l'l into a duct H inthe shaft 1, the duct H delivering the fluid to the nozzles 9, underconstant pressure.

A gland coupling I8 is mounted on the base 2 and is bored to receive anend of the shaft 1 through which the duct ll receives its fluid supply,there being a suitable packing 20, gland cap 2! and. gland nut l9provided to cooperate with the gland coupling l8. The parts l8 to 2|,inclusive, constitute a stufiing box.

When the turbine is to be a reversible one, a second wheel is mounted onthe shaft, as indicated at la in Figure 3, the spiral blades In of whichare pitched in a direction reversely to that of the blades l2. In thisconstruction also the shaft la is provided with supplemental fluid ducts22 in addition to the duct i la which delivers the fluid for the firstWheel, and shaft la, in the reversible turbine, is passed through afluid supply fitting 23 secured to the upwardly projecting portion 3| ofthe base 2. Packing nuts 24 and packing 25 are provided, and a fluidduct 26 delivers motive fluid from the control valve l'lb to thesupplemental ducts 22, a fluid supply pipe [517 being connected to thevalve llb.

A second fitting 28 is provided with a packing box or gland 21, packingnut 29 and packing 30 into which the end of the shaft la projects toreceive from a fluid supply pipe lGa, via a control valve Ila, themotive fluid for delivery through the duct i la to the first turbinewheel.

In Figure is shown diagrammatically what I know to be the principle uponwhich my turbine operates. In this figure 32 represents thenebular-spiral blades of a turbine wheel and 33 the fluid dischargenozzles which deliver the motive fluid at the center of the wheelagainst the spiral blades. The arrow 36 indicates the direction ofrotation of the wheel, the arrow 35 indicates the direction of recoil atthe nozzles 33, and 36 indicates an atom of motive fluid, while 31indicates the direction of the torsional force. Based on my theory ofevolution of the spiral nebula, Figure 5 illustrates how two opposingforces, action and reaction, are caused to function in unison ofrotative direction. Let the projectile atom 35 represent force ofaction; let recoil at nozzle 33 represent force of reaction; then itwill be found that the two opposing forces, because of the nature of thespiral construction, are caused to function in unison, both exertingtorsional force in the same direction of rotative motion whereby theentire spiral is caused to rotate around its axis 38.

When I refer herein to nebular-spiral curvatures I have reference tosuch curvature as is obtainable by the following formula: Refer toFigure 8 wherein is illustrated diagrammatically a formula fordetermining the nebular-spiral curvature of the spiral blades. Myformula of the proportion of the nebular-spiral has been based uponobservation of the plan of the nebulae, and upon conjecturalexperimentation with spiral blades under fluid pressures, and fromanalyzed results I have found that the diameter of the gaseous center ofthe nebula is a trifle more than one-eighth of the diameter of theentire nebula, or a diametrical ratio of 2 to 15%. As the spiral arms ofthe nebulae begin at the periphery of the gaseous center, so the spiralwalls of the spiral blades of my turbine are constructed to begin at theperiphery of the circle, circumscribed by the cylindrical inlet chamberof the hub, but the geometrical formula will be described by drawing thespiral from the outer periphery toward the center. I t

The formula: Describe two concentric circles with diametrical ratio of 2to 15%. Divide the smaller circle into eight equal arcs of 45 degreeseach and extend chords through the arcs, as from point 1 through point2, point 2 through point 3, point 3 through point 4, etc., of the largercircle shown in the diagrammatic Figure 8 of the drawings. Begin drawingthe spiral, centrally, from a point in the periphery of the largercircle, having first selected any one of the 45 degree arc centers as astarting point, say point 9; continue the circular spiral sweep untilthe extended chord is reached, then shift the center and continue untilthe spiral has been completed except for the final curvature, which mustbe drawn from a ninth center (number 9 on the diagram of a 22 degreearc. This curvature finishes the spiral and continues through the limbof the smaller circle, thereby describing the curvature of the outer orinner Wall, as the case may be, of the spiral blade of the rotor andterminating at the periphery of the central cavity, the diametricalextent of which has now been determined by the point of the spiraltermination.

While in the drawings I have illustrated the 5 spiral blade as of but360 degrees in length, the extension of the spiral in general is ofcourse in relation to the nozzle or jet opening; or, in other words,dependent on the fluid velocity and volume, the limit of size beingdependent only on the strength of materials.

In view of the foregoing it is obvious that the invention centers uponthe discovery of the curve of the nebular spiral, for example, seespirals in Canes Venatici and in Ursa Major, and of the radial expansionof the fluid from its immediate course, the fulcrum.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction, operationand advantages of my invention will be clear to those skilled in the artto which it appertains.

What I claim is:

1. In a turbine, a casing, a shaft passing through said casing andhaving a fluid duct and a discharge nozzle arranged to dischargeapproximately tangentially to the shaft, a rotor on said shaft withinsaid casing and having a spiral blade, said nozzle discharging againstthe inner extremity of said blade, said casing having an exhaust openingat its periphery.

2. In a turbine, a casing, a shaft passing through said casing andhaving a fluid duct and a discharge nozzle arranged to dischargeapproximately tangentially to the shaft, a rotor on said shaft, withinsaid casing and having a spiral blade, said nozzle discharging againstthe inner extremity of said blade, said casing having an exhaust openingat its periphery, and said rotor having side walls with openings. 40

3. In a turbine, a casing, a shaft passing through said casingand havinga fluid duct and a discharge nozzle arranged to discharge approximatelytangentially to the shaft, a rotor on said shaft within said casing andhaving a spiral blade, said nozzle discharging against the innerextremity of said blade, said casing having an exhaust opening at itsperiphery, and said casing having breather openings.

4. In a turbine, a casing, a shaft passing through said casing andhaving a fiuid duct and a discharge nozzle arranged to dischargeapproximately tangentially to the shaft, a rotor on said shaft withinsaid casing and having a spiral blade, said nozzle discharging againstthe inner extremity of said blade, said casing having an exhaust openingat its periphery, said casing having breather openings and said rotorhaving side walls with openings.

5. In a turbine, a rotor having nebular-spiral blades and being providedwith a constant fluid pressure duct at its approximate center, means fordelivering fluid from said duct to said blades for rotating the rotor, acasing enclosing the rotor and having a peripheral exhaust opening andhaving breather openings in its sides adjacent the center of the rotor,said rotor being open at its sides adjacent the blades.

6. In a rotary-turbine, a casing, a wheel rotating in said casing, saidwheel being provided with nebular-spiral blades extending from theapproximate center to the periphery thereof, means for establishing atthe center of the rotor a constant fluid pressure and means fortangentially delivering the fluid at the center of the rotor to theblades for nebular expansion at constant pressure in virtue of whichsaid rotor derives torsional energy.

'7. In a turbine, a rotatable shaft having a fluid duct and at least onedischarge nozzle with a tangential outlet, a wheel on and rotatable withsaid shaft, said wheel having at least one nebular-spiral blade againstthe inner central extremity of which the nozzle discharges.

8. In a turbine, a rotatable shaft having a fluid duct and at least onedischarge nozzle with a tangential outlet, a Wheel on and rotatable withsaid shaft, said wheel having at least one nebularspiral blade againstthe inner central extremity of which the nozzle discharges, a secondWheel on said shaft having at least one nebular-spiral blade directedopposite to the first wheels blade, said shaft having a second fluidduct and nozzle for said second wheel, and means separately to admitsaid working fluid to said ducts.

9. In a turbine, a rotatable shaft, having a fluid duct and at least onedischarge nozzle, a casing into which said shaft passes, a wheel mountedon and rotatable with said shaft Within said casing, said casing havingexhaust outlets and breather inlets, said Wheel having at least onenebular-spiral blade against the inner central portion of which thenozzle discharges, the sides of said Wheel adjacent said blade beingopen.

10. In a turbine, a rotatable shaft having a fluid duct and at least onedischarge nozzle, a casing into which said shaft passes, a wheel mountedon and rotatable with said shaft within said casing, said casing havingexhaust outlets and breather inlets, said wheel having at least onenebular-spiral blade against the inner central portion of which thenozzle discharges, a second wheel Within the casing and on said shaft,and having at least one nebular-spiral blade directed opposite to thefirst wheel's blade, said shaft having a second fluid duct and nozzlefor said second wheel, and means separately to admit said working fluidto said ducts, the sides of said wheels adjacent said blades being open.

11. In a turbine, a shaft having a longitudinal fluid passage and havinga tangentially disposed discharge nozzle, a rotor mounted on said shaftover said nozzle, said rotor comprising a body having open sides and aperipheral nebular-spiral blade the inner end of which lies adjacentsaid nozzle to receive fluid therefrom.

12. In a turbine, a shaft having a longitudinal fluid passage and havinga tangentially disposed discharge nozzle, a rotor mounted on said shaftover said nozzle, said rotor comprising a body having open sides and aperipheral nebularspiral blade the inner end of which lies adjacent saidnozzle to receive fluid therefrom, and a casing enclosing said rotor,said casing having an exhaust port in its periphery and side openingsadjacent the axis of said rotor for the purpose described.

13. In a fluid propelled nebular-spiral turbine, a casing havingopenings in its sides, a hollow self-propelled drive shaft passingthrough said casing and having a fluid duct and fluid discharge nozzles,nebular-spiral blades mounted on said shaft, said fluid dischargenozzles conforming in curvature to that of said blades in virtue ofwhich the action and reaction of the fluid stream force is caused tofunction as a single accelerating resultant force to drive the turbine.

WILLIAM PHILIP KESSEL.

